Chapter 454 - 398: A Deceased Spouse’s Terminal?
Chapter 454: Chapter 398: A Deceased Spouse’s Terminal?
"Y-You... why did you hit him?!"
It all happened so suddenly. Gu Ning stared blankly at the fallen Lanuo and the brown-haired Beastman before her. ’Why did he knock out Lanuo?’
A sense of danger jolted her into action. This was not a good guy. She quickly tried to pull Cook, instinctively wanting to drag him behind her for protection.
Unable to move the pup, she stood in front of him instead, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan.
"Get... out! Now!" Gu Ning straightened her back, lowering her voice into a cold command as she pointed to the door. "Or I’ll call for help and have you beaten up!"
As she spoke, she pinched Cook’s side, signaling for him to act more menacing.
However, the pup, who would usually pick a fight with any familiar Beastman nearby, just sat there, tilting his head and looking at the brown-haired Beastman with curiosity.
The pup’s attitude helped her calm down.
But in the next moment, the brown-haired Beastman’s face began to change into one she vaguely recognized.
First, his eyes changed. They became an icy blue, as translucent as a glacier. His unremarkable short hair slowly shifted into a black-and-white gradient, and his rough features sharpened, becoming more handsome.
Gu Ning stared at the face for a moment, her expression changing as she stumbled backward again and again.
It was the Beastman who had attacked them earlier tonight.
Seeing Cook still sitting there motionless, she hurriedly tried to pull him away again.
The pup still didn’t react much. He just lowered his head to give her a lick before continuing to stare at the Beastman, his eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.
Gu Ning clung to Cook’s arm, her eyes locked on the Beastman’s every move, ready to tell the pup to run with her at a moment’s notice.
She glanced at Lanuo lying on the floor and gave him a light kick with her foot.
Then she remembered this Beastman could go toe-to-toe with Philinos and gave up the idea of waking Lanuo.
Even if she woke Lanuo up, he wouldn’t be able to beat this guy. He’d probably just get beaten up himself.
After tapping his wrist to deactivate his disguise system, Kaper looked up at the female who was forcing herself to stay calm.
Cook stretched his head forward, sniffing his scent.
Kaper slapped him back with one hand.
Cook felt a sense of oppression welling up from the depths of his memory. He let out a low whimper and shrank back, not daring to sniff anymore.
"You—don’t you bully my pup!" Seeing the Beastman raise a hand, Gu Ning puffed out her chest and shouted fiercely, afraid Cook would get hurt.
The 12th District was very safe, and females held a special status. She felt her identity as a female could at least offer some temporary protection.
While speaking, she stealthily reached for the terminal on her wrist, preparing to contact Philinos.
The moment her fingers touched the terminal, the Beastman’s tall figure loomed over her, and a large hand seized her left wrist.
Gu Ning was startled and tried to pull her hand back, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.
Kaper looked down at the terminal on her wrist, rubbing the cracks on the old device.
’This is my terminal. How did it end up on her wrist?’
A thought flashed through Kaper’s mind, and he guessed that Vine and the others had probably found his severed hand.
Logically, he was already listed as deceased by the Military Department, and his personal terminal account should have been canceled. Vine must have given the terminal to Cook as a memento.
And Cook, in turn, had given the terminal to this female.
"This terminal is old and busted. Yours?" Kaper asked, still holding Gu Ning’s wrist.
Then he gestured with his chin toward her other hand. "You have a new one, but you can’t bear to throw the old one away?"
Gu Ning forcefully yanked her hand back and hugged Cook’s thick, furry arm tightly, staring at him warily. "None of your business."
Kaper chuckled. "This is a robbery."
Gu Ning: "...?"
Kaper said casually, "I’m very poor, and I happen to need a terminal. Since you have a new one, just give me the old one."
Gu Ning hid her left hand behind her back. "No way!"
Kaper: "If you can’t part with the old one, then give me the new one."
Gu Ning put both hands behind her back. "Go... buy one yourself!"
As she said that, she fumbled around her waist.
She was wearing a bathrobe; she didn’t have anything on her.
"Y-You, wait a minute." Gu Ning crouched down and began rummaging through the pockets of Lanuo’s jacket, checking if he had any money.
’This Beastman is just after money. He shouldn’t be too hard to deal with.’
Gu Ning pulled a plain, peeling black leather wallet from Lanuo’s jacket pocket.
She opened the wallet and took out a stack of money... er, paper coupons.
They were all shopping vouchers for various malls. Judging by the pictures, there were also drink coupons, travel vouchers, and more.
Among the piles of coupons, she found a few paper Beast Coins, which added up to less than three hundred.
’He’s so poor that I’m starting to feel bad about offering him a ’friendly price’ earlier,’ Gu Ning thought.
’I really need to start paying him a proper salary.’
She held the two-hundred-odd coins and hesitantly offered them to the Beastman. "Is this enough?"
Kaper looked down at her without moving, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Gu Ning thought for a moment, then grabbed the messy pile of coupons and held them out. "These are valuable."
She wasn’t sure if they could be used in the 12th District, though. Lanuo was from Zone 5, so they were probably only valid there.
Kaper still didn’t take them. "Give me a terminal."
Seeing him insist on robbing her of her terminal, Gu Ning clutched the towel on her head and ducked behind Cook. "No!"
She couldn’t give him either one.
One would expose her identity. Although this world’s personal data protection was quite strict, especially for females, not all Beastmen were law-abiding. There was no guarantee he wouldn’t hack her account.
The risk was too great.
The other was a memento from Cook’s older brother. There was no way she could give that up.
Kaper reached for her, and Cook lunged as if to bite his hand, but he stopped short, only feigning a couple of snaps to scare him.
Kaper didn’t dodge. He just swatted his foolish little brother’s face with the back of his hand and shot him a sideways glance.
Cook felt that familiar, oppressive aura again. He shrank back, no longer trying to pick a fight, and simply stood protectively in front of Gu Ning.
Having spent so much time with Cook, Gu Ning was very familiar with his emotional reactions.
Cook was clearly afraid of this Beastman.
’This isn’t going to be easy.’
"You... take whatever you want." Gu Ning placed the money on a nearby table and made a welcoming gesture. "Take... whatever you like. This room is sixty thousand a night! There’s a lot of valuable stuff."
’When dealing with a robber, the best policy is to not get in the way of what he wants.’
’Once he’s distracted, I’ll run with Cook.’
This was a hotel. As long as she could make it to the lobby, she could find someone to help her.
Kaper said, "Give me a reason."
Gu Ning: "What?"
Kaper: "A reason not to give me the terminal."
Gu Ning gave him a strange look. ’This Beastman is such a pain for a simple robbery,’ she thought. Then again, ’at least he seems to have some sense of morality, asking for a reason and all.’
Her eyes darted around, and then she lowered her head, her shoulders starting to tremble.
Kaper moved closer, leaning down and tilting his head to look at her. "...Crying?"
Gu Ning shot him a glance, raising a hand to wipe away a nonexistent tear from the corner of her eye. In a heartbroken voice, she said, "This terminal... it belonged to my... my deceased... partner. I can’t give it to you."
Kaper straightened up, patiently listening to her incoherent rambling.
"The terminal of your deceased partner?" Kaper asked. "What was his name?"